


A Study in Scarlet

by onepercent



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alex and George are professors, All the 'mentioned' means they're there but have no actual dialogue, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, Eliza and Maria and John are all the same age, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Growing Old Together, Growing Up Together, Kid Fic, M/M, Screwed up timelines, Unplanned Pregnancy, bisexual maria, its lit, kind of, lesbian Eliza, theyre kids at the beginning, trans boy peggy, trans girl angelica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-07-24 20:35:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7522195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onepercent/pseuds/onepercent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their beginning is friendship and their end is love—but who says those can't be the same thing?</p><p>How two drastically different women grow up together through childhood, drugs, sex, sexuality, education, bruises, periods, death, and compassion. Not necessarily in that order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey hey! I'm back, and I come with another multi-chapter fic (this one will be short though, I promise). Don't ask about e=mc^2 because it is a struggle and I am currently hating every word I have written of it, so try not to expect another chapter soon. Lord knows if I will ever finish it. Anyways, here is A Study in Scarlet (it has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes, by the way), the life story of Eliza and Maria and how they eventually fall in love. It's sweet, it's angsty, and especially mind the "abusive relationship" tag in this and the next chapter, when I put it up. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Enjoy!

It starts when they are four years old each. Eliza peeks out from behind her father’s legs to look at the new girl that is to be her new next door neighbor, who is also peeking out from her own father’s legs. She smiles at the new girl and she smiles back, and that is their beginning.

Two weeks later, school starts, and they walk to the bus stop together. The new girl—Maria—is wearing a slightly rumpled red dress and scuffed black shoes, and Eliza feels drab in comparison with her old mama pearls in a conservative loop around her neck and brand new Mary Janes and even though she knows Maria’s family doesn't have a lot of money and Maria should feel drab in comparison to her shiny news heels clickety clack down the sidewalk, she can't help but be jealous of the opportunity to rumple her dress and scuff her shoes instead of learning proper tea-party manners with her stuffed animals like her father implores her to. 

Eliza does very well in preschool. Maria does not. Eliza accepts everything the teacher says as true, which is an overworked-underpaid teacher’s dream, and Maria questions absolutely everything that comes out of the teacher’s mouth. “But Miss Cates, why does one-plus-one-equal-two, but two-plus-two doesn't equal three?” “But Miss Cates, my dad says there's a man in the moon, so there must be someone living there.” “But Miss Cates, why don't lions like eating the grass when meat gives you cancer?” Eliza’s take-home calendar is filled only with monochromatic green smiley face stamps. Maria’s is littered with red and yellow frowny faces as well as notes to her father telling him to stop telling his child about the horrors of the meat industry. 

Eliza realizes soon that Maria knows everything. Maria will tell her all about romance— “kissing isn't like when your dad tucks you into bed and does it to your forehead, it's like two squids attacking each other but the squids are your face”—and Maria will tell her all about the real world— “people are mean, and they will take your money and your wife, my dad says”—and Maria will tell her all about tea parties. Useless, she says. Her dad has never had a tea party ever, and he is very important. She would know if he ever had a tea party. 

But the one thing Maria will not tell all about is her dad himself. “My dad is very important and has a very important job,” she always answers, poking at a roly poly floundering around on the ground with a stick. “Except the government doesn't pay him lots because they are cap-ta-list pigs.”

They are the very best of friends. They play together every single day until once at the beginning of the summer after third grade Eliza’s dad finally figures out why his daughter’s new clothes keep coming home stained with mud and grass and memories when he walks outside to call her home for dinner and sees her and Maria chasing a neighbor’s dog through everyone on the block’s yards so he grounds her for one day and says young woman if you won't take care of the clothes I buy for you I will burn your wardrobe and buy you five pairs of gray pants and five gray shirts and you will wear them from now until you learn to keep clean. Eliza watches forlornly out the window that one day she is grounded from going outside, and maybe she is a little happier when Maria rings her doorbell a grand total of twenty eight times to see if she can play. 

Skip a decade to college. They have remained friends day in day out for fourteen years and they don't plan on stopping now, so they apply and get into the same university. As they excitedly bumble their way down the road in Maria’s old-ass-ugly-ass Crown Victoria (lovingly named Please Please Start, I’m a Nice Person and Don't Deserve This Shitty Fucking Car), they relive old middle and high school memories on the way to the new university. Maria giving Eliza the Sex Talk in sixth grade because her dad had told her everything by the time she was eight and Eliza’s dad was entirely too awkward to tell her anything relating to anything below the belt. Maria convincing some skinny freckled pothead whose hair only got poofier in the druggie haze to give them some weed for free. Both of them smoking on Maria’s roof, giggly and terrified, then later promising to never touch the stuff again. Eliza sleeping with skinny freckled pothead, but realizing she was gay in the process (he realized he was gay in the morning, too. They formed quite the gay bond, despite not knowing each other's’ names). Eliza’s brother Andrew coming out as Angelica, the female that uses she/her pronouns thank you very much and I'm actually really scared to tell you this but I trust you so please, and her sister Peggy coming out as Mark the man, haha sounds like a lame superhero but no seriously I'm trans as fuck and my new name is Mark, both on the same day roughly thirty minutes after each other, both bursting in on Eliza and Maria painting each other's nails in her room, both without knowing the other’s new identity. Eliza laments that she has to leave her smart older sister and her hilarious younger brother (even if she forgets he exists sometimes) to go to college as Maria drives straight through a pothole. As Maria’s suitcases and shit jump in the back of the car (Eliza’s suitcases and shit wouldn't fit so her father will bring them later, apparently), they laugh in tandem. 

 

They get situated in their shared apartment just off of campus and shared classes. One Mr Alexander Hamilton catches both of their eyes on the first day they walk into his class. 

Miss Maria Reynolds: god mr hamilton is soooo hot

second schuyler sister: I guess. But he's like 30 and he's married.

Miss Maria Reynolds: wait really???¿? didn't see the ring

second schuyler sister: Yeah we sat a bit in the back but I saw it when I left. Weird thing though, in Mr Washington’s class I noticed he had a ring that looked a lot like Mr Hamilton’s, but I thought he was divorced

Miss Maria Reynolds: wouldn't know, i don't have him. kinda wish I do now

Miss Maria Reynolds: im sure they're cute and all but u know who would be cuter w mr ham?? me

second schuyler sister: Don't you have a boyfriend? James Something or other

Miss Maria Reynolds: no comment

Two weeks later, Eliza is doing her makeup in the grimy mirror when Maria walks in from a night out with James, one of many in the past four-ish months. “Hey, you're good at makeup and shit, do you know how to cover a bruise?” Maria asks lightly as she slams her purse angrily into the mattress and promptly begins digging around for...something. 

Eliza thinks nothing of it. “Yeah, I just got a new color correcting kit for acne and under eye circles and stuff, but I'm sure it’ll work for bruises.” She mumbles a lieu quick “please God”s as she wings her eyeliner. “I think...yellow is the opposite of purple, right? Yeah, cover it in the yellow and orange then powder it and then your foundation.”

Maria finds what she was looking for, hides it in her fist, snatches Eliza’s color correcting crap and races to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Eliza dusts her pale cheeks with highlighter and admires her reflection, ignoring the choked gasp from the bathroom. It’s probably just Maria poking her bruise the wrong way, anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and I apologize. It's been a rough week.

A month later-ish, Eliza is dying. Dead, currently dying, continuing to die, et cetera. 

Her uterus is a deadweight in her stomach underneath the heating pad at maximum temperature, and she is actually concerned that her head might crack open like a coconut if she doesn't do something about the headache bouncing about her brain like a rogue ping pong ball. She groans as Maria opens the door loudly, interrupting her swim in self-pity and blood. 

“Hey,” Maria says. She glances over Eliza’s dead, lifeless body, eyebrow raised. The corpse in question is lying on the floor, swaddled in blankets with all her limbs splayed out to be exposed to the cool of the shitty tile, face squinched in pain. “What's wrong?”

“Got my period last night,” Eliza grits out, weakly flailing her arms in a vague gesture towards her bloated stomach. “I haven't had one this bad in years.” She squints her eyes at Maria, who is still standing in the doorway. “How are you not in pain? Our periods have been synced since, like, eighth grade.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Ah.” Eliza throws a limp hand over her eyes. “Can we talk about this after I've showered and masturbated?”

 

“Sorry for being so crude earlier,” Eliza says an hour later, hair dripping droplets of water like molten crystal onto the bed sheet, facing Maria who is sitting criss cross applesauce on the floor. “I didn't mean to say that, you know, hormone reasons, and it really helps with headaches–”

“Dude, it's fine,” Maria says, a little awkwardly. “We all do it, and it's not that bad. Do you not remember when you told me every detail when you and that gay kid had sex?”

And for the first time since their friendship began in pre-school, the silence is not pleasant. 

“Are you going to keep it?” Eliza asks quietly. 

“I don't know,” Maria replies quieter. “I don't know if I can afford an...you know.”

“Maria, you know money isn't a problem with me.” Eliza frowns. “Whether you keep it or not, I can absolutely help financially.”

“I know,” Maria sighs. 

There is a pause. 

“I'm so scared,” Maria whispers.

“Maria–”

“He's abusing me, too,” Maria continues. “He hits me and I can't leave him because I'm having his fucking child, you know? And I'm still in fucking college, I can't even legally drink yet, I can't believe this is happening–”

Eliza drops down from the bed onto her knees and envelops Maria in a hug, soaking hair forming shadows of wet art onto Maria’s shirt. Maria sobs and sucks in her stomach and prays for something, she doesn't know what, as long as it's not a child. 

 

Maria gets an abortion. The surgery does not do much physical damage, but emotionally, she can feel the space where the baby would have gone. She lets herself fantasize about a happy healthy family, but instead of dreaming of her abusive boyfriend, there is a woman taking his place. She shakes the image out of her mind. She drops out of school and gets a restraining order against James. Eliza drops out with her. 

 

Two years later, Eliza is enrolled in online college courses in the evenings and works retail during the day. Maria has published a romance novel that has brought in a little extra which is nice and she is writing another that takes her mind off of her grueling waitress job at Olive Garden. It is not much but it helps pay a little bit of Eliza’s education and a nice but small apartment two hours away from NYC and the groceries every other week and Maria even can set aside a little bit of savings each paycheck to pay eventually for the gravestone of her father that died six months ago. Eliza always says her money is Maria’s money, but that feels like stealing and Maria, no matter how desperate she may be for peace for her father’s spirit God rest his soul, is no criminal, and does not tell Eliza about her savings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I would have written more but I felt that was a good place to stop. (It's also worth noting that I am literally a 14 year old kid who doesn't know how college or pregnancies or abortions or apartment complexes work, so please cut me some slack on this thing as I delve into other adult-y things.) Don't worry, they actually get together next chapter. Also, I forgot to mention, follow me on Instagram and tumblr! My Instagram is @cannaryy and my tumblr is cannary .


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay new chapter! nothing much to say here.

“Hey,” Eliza says as Maria walks through the door, running a hand deep into her thick and curly hair like a lion’s mane of midnight that she she hasn't washed in too many days.

“Hey,” Maria answers, toeing her beaten-past-the-point-of-comfort-into-the-oblivion-of-cramped-toes shoes off and kicks them beside her chair in the kitchen that is also a dining room that connects to the entryway. Nice, but small, she always thinks when she walks back into her and Eliza’s home, and today is no exception. 

“Can you c’mere a sec?” Eliza asks from the worn down couch. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure,” Maria frowns as she slumps into the cushion crease beside Eliza. “What's up?”

Eliza hands her a paper and Maria’s eyes widen. “I got this in the mail today, and I was wondering why you were going to the local cemetery and why they would mail something to you when nobody died, but then I remembered how you never talk about your dad anymore and I—why didn't you tell me?”

“Eliza,” Maria says softly. “I didn't mean—”

“I know you didn't mean to but you did,” Eliza says forcefully, scooting away from Maria. “I know you think you can go through this alone because you are strong but nobody can—”

“Eliza, please don't be mad I didn't mean to—”

“I'm not mad, I'm upset, your dad died and you didn't think to tell me—”

“I didn't want to put more on your plate than what you already have going—”

“I can handle it enough to comfort my best friend—”

“You've already done so much for me and I didn't want to inconvenience you—”

“Can you please stop interrupting me?” Eliza shouts.

Maria stops.

“I do things for you because I care about you,” Eliza says quietly, voice wobbling like a ballerina on her new pair of shoes. “I care about you so much, and it hurts me to think that someone so dear to your heart has passed and you thought it would upset me to be told.”

“I’m sorry,” Maria whispers. “I'm sorry.”

“I forgive you,” Eliza says even quieter and in the silence, they both close their eyes and lean forward. The kiss is soft like sheepskin and warm like marshmallows. It is sweet like a valentine and red like blood. It is wide like love and deep like the ocean. And thus, the argument is forgotten.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter yay!!

“Where are we going?” Maria asks blindfolded for the twenty-sixth time since they got in the car. 

 

“Dunno,” Eliza jokes, keeping her eyes on the road like a good driver instead of looking over at her girlfriend like she wants to literally every minute of the day. Maria hmphs, pretends to look out the window. Eliza smiles and pulls into a parking spot off the busy road. She turns off the car, gets out, and opens the door for Maria because she is a gentleman like that. She takes Maria’s hands and savors for what is probably the millionth time the four years they’ve been together the feeling of Maria’s soft, large hand in her small one. She leads Maria up the curb, through the rotating glass doors. A soft murmur rumbles throughout the restaurant, and Eliza unties Maria’s blindfold. It drops unceremoniously to the floor as Maria gasps. 

 

“Elizabeth Schuyler,” Maria whispers as she takes in the restaurant, the other couples dressed in pearls and ties chatting across white tablecloths and golden candelabras and oysters and steaks and wine. “You did not get us reservations at Le Bernardin, the best seafood place in all of New York City and probably the universe. You didn’t.”

 

“Happy birthday,” Eliza says. 

 

A waiter takes the to their table and they sit down. Eliza has to tell Maria to stop gaping. Two glasses of red wine magically appear at their table—Eliza swears she didn’t see anyone come—and it is sweet and positively delightful and probably 

 

“—so expensive, love, how did you even get reservations here? Can we afford literally anything on this menu?” Maria asks, looking doubtfully at Eliza’s face across the table. 

 

“Well, my dad knows the chef from a while back which got us the reservations,” Eliza says, taking a sip of wine that she really, really enjoys, actually, as their waiter takes away their empty plates of lobster and gives them quite fancy dishes of merluza, “and it’s two special occasions, what with your birthday and all, so he felt he could, you know, help me out.”

 

“Two?” Maria frowns. 

 

“Yes,” Eliza replies, getting down on one knee and pulling a small, nondescript black box out of her purse by the side of her chair. “Two.”

 

 

 

Their wedding consists of going to the courthouse in very pretty white dresses and kissing each other very heatedly in the car to get celebration froyo and then finally celebration sex. Eliza finishes her degree, gets a job as a pediatric nurse. Maria publishes her second novel, which is more successful than the last, and quits her waitress job to move into a new house with Eliza in Albany. They adopt a cat, Chi-Chi (Cheech for short). Eliza’s brother Mark is dreadfully allergic to cats, but her sister Angelica visits as much as possible because of how much the fat cat loves her. Their family is a small but healthy one, and they couldn’t ask for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! This was really sweet to write and I love these kids so much. Hamilton fandom needs more women/lesbians (I'm sick of all of the straight fan girls obsessing over Lams—but I digress).

**Author's Note:**

> The texting is the only nod to the Reynold's Pamphlet in this fic. I was going to go further with it, but I decided against it for more *~drama~*. Why would Maria need to cover up a bruise? What could she have been freaking out about in the bathroom? Why did this start out so stylized but got more normal as I kept writing? The world may never know!
> 
> Anyways. Thanks for reading. This fandom needs more lesbians. Expect a new chapter of this sometime next week ish.
> 
> Feedback is eternally welcomed in the form of constructive criticism, praise, ideas for future works you might want to see written, or anything else you could think of.


End file.
